Brooder



March 31, 1931. F. E, BARTLETT 1,798,395

` BRooDER I Filed June 9, 1930 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 31, v1931 PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK n. BARTLETT, or MODESTO,CALIFORNIA IBROODER Application med June 9, 1930. Serial No. 459,911.

This invention relates to broeders such as used for the rearing ofchicks, ducklings and other newly hatched birds, and especially to meansfor heating the air supplied to the Vli brooder and for maintainingconstant circulation thereof.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplifythe construction and operation of broeders of the character described;to provide a brooder which may be cheaply and eiic-iently heated byelectric energy; to provide a brooder wherein a forced circulation offresh air is maintained; and further, to provide a brooder wherein thecirculating air is uniformly distributed so as to maintain an eventemperature throughout.

The brooder is shown by way of illustration in the accompanyingdrawings, in

which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the brooder in section,

Fig. 2 is a bottom View of the brooder, and

Fig. 3 is a cross section of one of the air circulating and heatingtubes.

Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly Fig. l, it will benoted that the brooder consists of a cone-shaped hover such as shown atA on the inner surface of which is secured a plurality of aircirculating and heating tubes such as indicated at 1, 2, 3 and 4. Thehover is suspended from the ceiling of the brooder house by a cable 5counterweighted as at 6 and it is provided with legs 7 to space it fromthe floorV so that the chicks can pass from under the hover and out"into the brooder house.

The tubes indicated at 1, 2, 3 and 4 are substantially half round incross section as shown 40 in Fig. 3, and they may be riveted orotherwise secured to the inner surface of the coneshaped hover asindicated at 7. A plate of insulating material such as shown at 8 isplaced inside of each tube and extends substantially from end to endthereof. These plates function as supports for electric resistanceheating elements of standard construction suchas shown at 9. The heatingelements may be connected in parallel, series or whatever the case maybe and they are supplied with current from an outside current source notshown. It may furthermore be stated that the circuit through the heatingelements is maintained by a thermostat switch such as shown at 15 andthe current is accordingly switched on and off so as to maintain auniform temperature. This feature, however, is old and no claim is madethereto.

The tubes are open at both ends .and if the heating elements are inoperation the .heat produced will cause the air to enterat the lowerends and to rise upwardly and discharge from the upper ends of the tubesinto the space formed around the electric bulb 10. As the air cools itsinks toward the floor and escapes under the edges of the hover and outinto the brooder house and as the lower open ends of the tubes extend toa point outside the edge of the hover fresh air will continuously enterand a continuous circulation of fresh air is maintained in underV thehover. Furthermore by placing, the several heating and air circulatingtubes as shown a uniform distribution of heated air and .a uniformtemperature throughout the brooder space is insured. A curtain such asshown at 14 is alsoV provided to confine the heated air against too freean escape.

By referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be noted that a considerablespace is maintained between the plates 8 and the hover, and further,that openings 13 are formed in the sides of the tubes so as tocommunicate with this space. A certain amount of the air under the hoverwill accordingly enter through these openings and circulate upwardlybetween the insulating plate and the hover, thus reducing thetemperature at this point,and furthern more, reducing radiation andconduction of heat through the metal surfaces. The thermostatic switchwill of course be arranged to maintain a predetermined temperature andto do this it may automatically out off one or more elements or cut themoff successively, if desired. Insulating material placed in the top ofthe cone as shown at 16 is also desirable as it reduces the amount ofheat loss by conduction to a minimum.

ldhile certain features of the present invention are more or lessspecifically described, I Wish it understood that various changes may beresorted to within the scope of the appended claims. Similarly, that thematerials and finishes of the several parts employed may be such as themanufacturer may decide, or varying conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent l. In a device of the character described, a cone-shapedhover, a plurality of tubes secured to the inner surface of the hover,and electric resistance heating elements in the tubes, to heat air andto maintain circulation of air in the space formed under the hover.

2. In a device of the character described, a cone-shaped hover, a.plurality of tubes secured to the inner surface of the hover, said tubesbeing open at their vends and extending from the outer edge of the hoverto a point adjacent the apex, and means for maintaining a continuouscirculation of fresh air through the space formed under the hover, saidmeans comprising electric resistance heating elements disposed Withinthe tubes whereby the air in the tubes is heated to cause thermosyphoncirculation of the air.

3. In a device of the character described, a cone-shaped hover, aplurality of tubes secured to the inner surface of the hover, said tubesbeing inclined and open at their ends the lower ends of the tubesextending to the lower outer edge of the hover to permit admission offresh air from points exterior of the hover, and electric resistanceheating elements in the tubes to cause continuous flow of fresh air toenter the lower ends of the 'tubes and to discharge said air in a heatedcondition in the space formed under the hover.

4. In a device of the character described, a hover, a plurality ofinclined tubes disposed adjacent the inner surface of the hover, saidtubes being open at their ends and extending to the outer edge of thehover to permit continuous admission of fresh air, a partition member ineach tube forming an upper and a lower air passage, heating means in thetubes for heating air passing therethrough, and for maintaining acontinuous flow and circulation of fresh air, said tubes beingperforated to permit recirculation of a portion of the air in the spaceformed under the hover.

In a device of the character described, a hover, a plurality of upwardlyinclined tubes ,'lisposed adjacent the inner surface of the hover, saidtubes being open at their ends and extending to the outer edge of thehover to permit continuous admission of fresh air through the lower endsof the tubes, a partition member in each tube forming an upper and alower air passage, said tubes being perforated to form a communicationbetween the upper air passage in each tube and the space

